Coin controlled vending machine



March 8, 1932. F. w. HALL COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE 5 Sheets-sheet 1 Filed Oct. ll, 1928 March 8, 1932. F. W, HALL 1,848,626

COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE Filed Oct, ll. 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FkEDER/CK MLL/AM /ALL March 8, 1932. F. w. HALL COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE Filed Oct. ll, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 March 8, 1932. F. w. HALL 1,848,626-

COIN GONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE Filed O01.. 11, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE Filed Oct. l1, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet l5 Patented Mar. 8, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE FREDERICK WILLIAM HALL, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 HALL TELEPHONE ACCESSORIES (1928) LIMITED, kOF LONDON, ENGLAND, A CORPORATION OF GREAT f BRITAIN COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE Application ledl'October 11, 1928, Serial No. 311,893, rand in Great Britain February 7, 1928.

The invention relates to coin-controlled vending machines, and particularly (but not exclusively) to machines for vending postage stamps, tickets and the like in strip form,

the strip being fed'through a delivery slot by means of a feed wheel to which rotation of predetermined extent is imparted on insertion of the prescribed coins. Generally the mea-ns for controlling the feed or delivery include an escapement device, and the invention comprises improvements in such escapement devices including an arrangement whereby the escapement can be adjusted to alter the feed effected by a coin. The invention comprises also means whereby a single feed device is made responsive to coins of different prescribed denominations, the feed due to each coin being proportional to the A value of that coin. Further, the invention 2o' comprises improvements in means for separating coins of different denominations inserted into the machine, and for rejecting improper coins.

Other improvements included in the invention relateto the delivery or feed mechanism, and the actuation thereof, and to shutter mechanism for the openings through which coins are inserted, and articles are delivered.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as applied to a machine for vending postage stamps, this machine being organized for issuing stamps of a single denomination, singly or in multiples, according to thevalue of the coin inserted. In describing this particular machine, reference will be had to the issue of lcent stamps paid for by insertion of 1-cent and 2-cent pieces.

They machine is shown in Figures 1, 2 and l 3 with the casing removed.

Figure 1 is an elevation viewed from the right,

Figure 2 an elevation viewed from the left, and

Figure 3 a rear view; Figure t is a horizontal section of an es capement device included in the mechamsm;

Figure 5 shows part of the mechanism, whereby the coin slot is automatically closed when the machine is empty.

Figure 6 shows a shutter and actuating mechanism therefor, whereby the stamp delivery slot is automatically closed after each delivery;

Figures 7 and 8 are two sectional views of a coin detector incorporated in the mechanism, these two views being alike, but showing coins of different denominations in coursey of passing the detector;

Figure 9 is a vertical cross-section of the stamp delivery roller, and certain parts associated therewith,

Figures 10 and l1 being views of details of this mechanism;

Figure 12 is a side elevation of another form of esca-pement which may be used in the machine, y

Figure 18 is a side elevation of an escapement of the latter form, associated with a coin transfer device to be described hereinafter; and

Figures 14 and 15 are views of coin detectors which may be incorporated in the machine for specific purposes to be described hereinafter.

The frame plate l has near the top an opening,` behind which there is a vertically slidable lplate 2. This plate 2 has a coin slot, which is eXposed'by the aperture in the plate 1 when the` plate 2 is raised, and then gives access to a coin slot in aplate 3 fixed behind the slidable plate 2. Normally the plate 2 is held in its raised position by a double armed lever 4 engaging under a lug 5 projecting from the plate 2 through a slot in the plate 3, the lever being held imder the lug by the action of a spring 500. At each insertion of a coin the plate 2 is slightly raised, the normally exposed part of its slot being some- :soA

what shorter than the diameter of the coin,

so that the edge of the coin lifts the plate.

Behind the plate 4 there is pivoted a heavy lever 6 having secured thereto a lug 7 facing the coin slot in the plate 3, so that by pushing a coin through this slot, against the lug 7, the lever 6 is lifted, as indicated by broken lines in Figure 1. In this figure two coins (a l-cent piece and a 2ecent piece) are shown in broken lines, holding the lever 6 in its raised positions. The lever 6 has pivoted to it a bar 8 having a rack 9 at its lower end, whereby it engages a gear wheel 10. The latter is loose on its spindle, but is engaged with a pawl 11 pivotedto an escapement wheel 12, so that the wheel can always rotate anticlockwise, as viewed in Figure 1', but can only rotate clockwise, as indicated by the arrow, when the escapement wheel is released and can be rotated bythe pawl 11.

' Consequently the wheel'` 10 retains the bar 8 and lever 6 in raised position, after (insertion of the coin',till the escapement is released.

f In the loweredposition of the lever 6 avertical arm 13 of this lever depresses a flange 14 on a coin selector 15 (Figures 7 and 8) suspended from an inclined spindle 16, but when the leverl 6 is raised by a coin pushed past the lug 7 this coin selector swings into position to rceive the coin. JIf a coin too small to Y actuate the lug 7 is inserted into the machine,

the selector fails to receive it, and it drops into a refund chute. A coin which has lifted the lever 6 and been pushed past the lug 7 drops channelled on its under-side, with a bend or break, so that two `portions thereof are at different distancesfrom the rail 18. If the coin on therail18 is a 1,-cent piece'it leans i with its top edge against the rail 20 below the i inserted into the machine a coin smaller thanV a 1cent piece, but Vsufficiently large to llft the flange 22 as shown in Figure 8 and is Vguided by the rails 18 and 2O and a deflecting plate 220 to a verticalchute 23, into which it drops. If it is al 2-cent piece it leans against the flange 22, and is guided byl this flange andthe plate 220 to a vertical chute 24:.V Ifthere is lever 6, this coin will alsoreach the rail 18, and will at rst leanagainst the rail 20 below the flange 22; but below the lower portion of the flange the edge of the rail 20 is cut away so that this smaller coil will tilt over and drop through' an aperture in the selector V15 into the refund chute. A coin larger than a l-cent piece, but smaller than a 2-cent piece, will also, at the upper part of the rail 18, lean against the rail 20 below the flange 22,but on reaching the downward bend ofthis flange it will lift the rail 20 and consequently lose its support, so that it also falls into the refund chute. The channelling of the under-side of the flange 22 reduces the risk of jamming in the case of coins which are only very slightly below the prescribed 2-cent size, and consequently can only just slip under the upper portion of the flange.

A l-cent pieceY entering the chut-e 23 drops on to the bent end of the longer arm of a weighted, double armed lever 25, which extends through a slot 250 into the chute. This lever is fixed to a small rotatable drum or barrel 26, and forms part of the escapement y"inechanism- This barrel is close'tothe cirin eect theyare disposed in pairs, side by side, but one slightly in advanceof the other. Portions of the circlnnference ofthe barrel are cut away, to enable the arms 27 to clear the barrel in certain positionsof the latter, but normally, when the lever orvbalance arm 25 is substantially horizontal, as shown in Fig. 1, the barrel is in a position in which a shoulder formed by the mutilation thereof is in the path of oneof the arms 27. However, the coin dropping on to the longer arm of the lever 25 rocks this arm downwards, and rotates the barrel, so thatthe shoulder referred to is removed from the path of the arm 27 abutting against it. The raised lever 6, is, consequently, by means of the rack bar 8, gear wheel 10 and pawl 11 able to impartv rotation to the escapement wheelV 12, but this rotation is only slight, as another shoulder of the barrel is at once rocked into the path of the next arm 27 on the wheel i. e., the nearest arm belonging to the other series.

The arms 27 are fixed to the wheel by means of set screws passing through slots therein, so that the arms are radially adjustable for varying'their effective length. VThis enables selected arms to be shortened, so that they are ineffective for checking rotation of the wheel, as they clear the barrel in all positions ofthe latter. Assuming, for example, that alternate pairs of arms 27 are shortened, each yrelease of the wheel results in a rotation twice as great as if all the arms were effective.

After depressing the balance arm `25 the coin rolls off the same and drops intothe till, allowing the balance arm to swing back to its normal position. By thislreturn swing the barrel 26 is again rotated, so that the shoulder in the path` of the arm 27 is removed from that path, whereby the arm is released, and is able to 'clear also the other shoulder,` before the latter returns to the position shown in Fig. 1, in which it stops theescapement wheel when the leading arm 27 of the next pair reaches it. There being, in the example shown, six' equidistant pairs of arms 27 the 1'cent piece causes the escapement wheel to make oneesixth of a revolution.

The escapement wheel 10 is connected to the stamp delivery mechanism, to be described hereinafter, and one-sixth of a revolution of this wheel is the movement required to edect delivery of one 1cent stamp.

A 2-cent piece entering the chute 24 drops on'to'an upwardly directed arm 28 of the balance arm 25, this arm 28 being bent at the top to extend through a slot 29 in the chute wall. After striking this bent portion of the arm 28, as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 1, the coin depresses the arms 28 and 25, and then clears the arm 28 and comes temporarily to rest on a concave seat 30 at the bottom of the chute, this position being likewise indicated by broken lines. The depression of the arms 28 and 25 by the coin, and their subsequent release, have precisely the same effect as the depression and release of the arm 25 by a 1-cent piece, that is say the wheel 10 is allowed to make one-sixth of a revolution. However, there extends into the chute 24, through a curvedV slot 31, a pin 32 projecting from a pivoted arm 33, and this arm has a flange 34, which is in the path of one of the series of arms 27 on the escapement wheel 12. In the course of the rotation of the escapement wheel due to the release of the arm 28, one of the said arms 27 strikes the flange 34, and rocks the arm 33, so that the pin 32 pushes the coin off its seat 30 through an opening in the chute wall into the chute 23. The coin consequently drops on to the end of the balance arm 25, depressing the same, and then releasing it, whereupon the coin con tinues on its way to the till. This second de pression andr releasescf the balance arm again has the effect of allowing the escapement wheel to make one-sixth of a revolution, so that another 1-cent stamp is delivered.

The feed is eifected vby means of a feed drum 35 having two rows yof pins for engaging the perforations inthe strip of stamps. This drum is mounted on the spindle of the escapement wheel 12, and is angularly adjustable thereon, within limits, but is fixed to a collar .36 o n the spindle, bymeans'of setscrews 37 working in slots. i The strip of stamps 38 is taken from a spool'39, and passes over the feed drum 35 fto the delivery slot 40. This slotis normally closed by a pivoted shutter 41 (Fig. 6). A forked portion of this shutter is engaged with a pin on a double-armed, spring-loaded lever 42, and this lever has a second pin 43, resting on a iiange44, which is fixed to the feed drum 35 drum 35 a segmental, floating cover 46 rests on the upper part of the drum (Fig. 9), this cover being for convenience attached to a chain, on which it hangs when removed. The cover 46 is not exactly concentric with the drum, being slightly belled out on the entrance side, so that in case the strip owing to imperfections in its perforating, tends at this part to rise from the drum. said strip will still be able to pass under the cover and will then accommodate itself to the gradually narrowing passage aiforded. At the delivery end, near the slot 40, the edge of the cover is serrated (Fig. 11), to act as a cutter for the strip. To prevent the lifting of the cover by the pull exerted on the strip for cutting it, a spring 47 engages a shoulder at this end of the cover 46. Moreover, a boss on a hand lever 48 normally 'faces a boss 49 on the cover, but after opening the machine this lever 48 can be rocked to clear the boss 49 and at the same time to disengage the spring 47 from the cover 46, enabling the latter to be removed. f

A stripper plate 50 (Figs. 9 and 10) is provided', for deflecting the free end of the strip from the drum 35 towards the delivery slot 40.

W'hile there are stamps in the machine, and a portion of the strip 38 is taut between the spool 39 and feed drum 35, this portion of the strip passes over a pin 51 projecting from a curved, suspended lever 52 (Fig. 5), and holds this lever out of the position which it normally assumes by gravity. When the strip of stamps is exhausted the pin 51 is released. and a projection 520 on the lever 52, swinging by gravity, strikes a sliding pin 53, which it pushes against a pin projecting from the lower arm of the lever 4 hereinafter mentioned, thus rocking the upper arm away from the lug 5, which projects from the plate 2. To the lever 6 there is fixed a pin 54 which, when the lever 6 is raised, enters an aperture in the plate 2, so that even if the lever 4 has been swung out of the path of the abut-y ment 5 the plate 2 cannot drop, and close the coin inlet, till the lever 6 has descended. The descent of thev plate 2, indicating that the machine is empty, consequently does not occur till the last stamp has actually been fed to the delivery slot 40, owing to the descent of the lever 6.

For cushioning the descent of the lever 6 a dash-pot or the like may be provided.

,In the modification shown in Fig. 12, the drop bar 8 actuated by the coin-operated lever engages a toothed pin wheel 55, which meshes with a pinion 56 fixed to a spindle carrying two radial arms 57, 58 in alignment with each other. The arm 57 is adjustable as to length by means of a slidable tip 59, adjust-- able by means of a set screw. A mutilated barrel 26, substantially similar to that shown in F igs. 1 and 4, with a coin operated balance the arm 57 is givenits full length this arm,r

like thearm 58, is able to engage the barrel, whereas when the arm 57 is shortened it clears the barrel in all positions of the latter. -Consequently one is able to arrange that when the armr58 is released by the barrel, due to the rocking of the lever 25 by a coin, the wheel`55 and pinion 56 either rotate till the arm 57 strikes the barrel, or rotate till the arm 5 8 has completed a revolution, owing to the arm 57 being out of action.

Fig. 13 shows an escapement of this geared l type, but without an adjustable arm, as-

sociated with a device for transferring coins from one vertical chute to the other, for producing successive actuations of the balance arm 25as describedwithl referencev to Figs. l to 3. The coin transfer is effected by means of a. pin 30 on a lever 33, the lever having a projection Y6lrin the path of two pins 60 on the hub of the arms -58. 1

` Fig. 14 is a plan viewofadevice adapted for incorporation with the machine vwhen the machine isto tak-e coins of a prescribed diameter having central perforations. A coin 62-of this kin-d, having a perforation 63, is in Fig. lrshown travelling down an inclined rail 66 as indicated by an arrow. Y At one side of the rail there is mounted a rotatable cross or spider 64, with arms of iron or steel, which by rotation of the. spider are swung into andl A out of the path of the coin. A small magnet y I Fig.

isy disposed abovethe spider, and tends to hol-dV the spider so that one of the arms projects into the coin path and another is near the path, farther towards thecoin entrance. In the position shown, the coin pushes the armextending into its path, and tends to rotate the spider, and as the coin is of the proper diameter, with a central hole, it does rotate the spider and is able to travel on, becausefthe arm near the Vpath is able to enter the hole 63'. If, however, a coin arrives which has not got this hole, or has not got it inthe right position, the spider is unable to Vrotate and prevents passage of the coin, oralternatively the, arm striking the side of the` coin ejects the coin laterally fromthe chute.` Y y l5 shows adevice for preventing the passage of perforated coins. This is a pivoted arm 67 extending into the coin path, so that a coin must rotate it in order to pass. On the same pivot there is mounted apivoted arm 68 having a hooked tip, and when the arm 67 is rotated bya coin a spring on this armswings the'arm 68 towards the coin. If the coin has -no perforation the hooked tip encounters the side of the coin, but allows the coin to pass. If there is a perforation the hook enters it, and stops the coin.

Y It will, of course, be understood that arrangements maybe made for more than two successive actuations of the delivery mechanism by a single coin, and that for the purpose of successive `actuations 1t 1s not necessary to transfer the coin from one chute to -a ychute used also by coins of another denomination.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent `of the United States is l l. In a vending machine', the combination of two coin chutes, a delivery devicev for goods, an escapement .controlling said delivery device and having two members extendinginto the respective chutes, and means whereby after actuation of the member in one of said-chutesby a coin inserted thereinto the coin is automatically,transferred to the other chute lfor actuation of the other member.

2. In a vending machine, the combination of two coin chutes for coins of different denominations,a delivery device for goods, an escapement controlling said delivery device and having twoY members extending into the Y respective chutes, and means whereby after actuation of vthe member' in oneV of said chutes by'a coin inserted thereintol the coin is automatically transferred to the other chute for actuation of the other member.

3. In a vending machine according to claim l, and in which the escapement has an axle, a plurality of radial arms xed to said axle, a rocker adapted inone position to obstruct rotation of said arms, 'and means enabling a selected arm or arms to be lengthened or shortened alternatively, for engaging or clearing the rocker.

4. In a vending machine according to claim l, two circular series of rotatable Vradial arms on the escapement disposed in parallel planes and staggered in relation to each other, a rocker adapted in one position to obstruct rotation of said arms, andV means enabling a selected arm or arms to be lengthened or shortened alternately so as to engage or clear the rocker.

5. The combination claimed in claim l, together with a loaded actuating-member for the delivery device, adapted tovbe stressed by the insertion of a coin.Y Y

6. The combination claimed; in claim, l, tof gether witha loaded rack, a gear wheel engaged with said rack', and a pawl and ratchet device actuated by said gear wheel for actuating the goods'delivery device. 1 Y' 7. In a vendingmachine, a combination o two coin chutes, a delivery device for goods, a coin-controlled escapement controlling said delivery device and having two-members extending into the respective chutes, and means means, an escapement adapted by a rocking movement temporarily to release said delivery device for action, and two devices actuated in succession by a coin passing through said coin chute means, each adapted to impart to said escapement a rocking movement whereby temporary release of said delivery device is eected.

In witness whereof I have signed this specification.

FREDERICK WILLIAM HALL. 

